On April 4th, 2005, the Country of Origin Labeling rule took effect for fresh and frozen fish and shellfish. Under this rule, fish and shellfish must be labeled, indicating its country of origin and whether it is wild or farm-raised. 6.

The purpose of the Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) law is to give consumers in the United States the ability to make an informed choice and the opportunity to buy food produced here in the U.S. The law also benefits U.S. producers because it gives them the opportunity to differentiate their crops and livestock as products of the U.S.

Items not covered under the COOL law include seafood items that have been cooked or otherwise further processed, including our cooked shrimp and marinated or stuffed fish selections. Such products are not covered under COOL because many are harvested in one country and then cooked or further processed in a second location. Labeling these with all relevant origins could prove cumbersome and ultimately unhelpful to the consumer.

At The Fresh Market, the premise for the COOL legislation is consistent with our longstanding voluntary labeling standards, such as designating items as “fresh” or “previously frozen” and in stating the actual count on shellfish (instead of simply referring to them as “large”).

The Fresh Market labels and tracks all products covered under the Country of Origin Labeling rule in a manner consistent with the requirements of this law.